Next August 28th the 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival 2024 will take place, one of the most prestigious and oldest events in the film industry organized by La Biennale di Venezia. This event serves as a meeting point for movie stars worldwide, celebrities, and high-level industry executives.
The location is second to none, held on the beautiful island of Lido in Venice, it sure will be a spectacle of elegance, glamour, and exclusivity. One of the singularities of Venice is the transportation around the city, famous for its canals and architecture, offering a combination of ground and water transportation that makes the experience unique.
This year’s Biennale di Venezia will premiere some of the most anticipated films of 2024. Hollywood will take center stage, highlighting renowned actors. Winona Ryder will star in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” while Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix headline the highly anticipated sequel to “Joker”.
So how to get around Venice during the Biennale? During the Venice Film Festival, travel around the city is expected to increase with the visit of hundreds of people. The need to get around, coupled with the busy schedules of celebrities and industry executives, will make a good transportation planning key to providing an experience up to the task.
In this context, Drivania’s transportation services are a perfect complement to maximize comfort, coordinating customized and exclusive transfers to ensure your Venice Film Festival experience is unforgettable.
The uniqueness of Venice’s transportation
Venice is a city characterized by its canals and its unique water transportation system: gondolas, vaporettos, and water taxis are not only means of transportation but also symbols of romance and elegance that characterize this floating city. Navigating the Grand Canal and observing the architecture from the water is an unparalleled experience that will take you to an opulence and splendor era.
To ensure comfortable, efficient, and safe transportation, it is necessary to combine this water transportation with reliable ground transportation. Whether attending exclusive presentations, business dinners, or arriving on a red carpet, you must have quality transportation.
Having a chauffeur in Venice presents numerous benefits: ease of arrival and departure from the airport, ground transportation to boarding points for water taxis and private boats, and trips to nearby cities to continue exploring the beautiful Italy.
Drivania, with its fleet of high-end vehicles and professional chauffeurs, offers the perfect solution for your travels. Our service guarantees efficient and safe transfers that complete the Venetian experience in the best possible way.
Transfers from the airport to Venice Festival
How to get from Venice airport to Venice? If you land at Venice Marco Polo Airport, you will have to travel 13 km from Venice airport to Venice city. The city has both ground and water public transportation services to make this journey, although a private Venice airport to city transfer will be the best option.
Scheduling your arrival and pick-up at the airport can avoid long lines and crowds, in addition to enjoying a personalized service according to the needs of each passenger. There are several profiles among festival attendees, most of them with tight schedules and agendas, so it is very likely that after being picked up at the airport, their next destination will be their first commitment.
Some of the most common profiles at the Venice International Film Festival are actors, actresses, celebrities, and influencers. The agendas of these attendees are full of back-to-back events, whether they are presentations, red carpets, or events organized by a brand. Sometimes the time between one appointment and another is tight, so it is very important to take care of all the details while traveling between them. This may be the only time the passenger has to relax, so it would be ideal to have, for example, drinks and snacks on board, and even headphones or earplugs. We have even encountered situations where passengers need to prepare for the next event on board. In this case, it is important to have all the material and equipment ready, a larger vehicle, and total privacy.
Another common profile at this event is film industry executives. These attendees also have a very full agenda, between corporate meetings and presentations, so it is very likely that during their car ride, they will need to prepare their meetings and do some work. Having wifi with a perfect connection and a space where they can set up a computer and work is very important. A corporate travel service with total privacy and silence during calls or important meetings. Even if they forget some documentation or equipment needed to work, it can be retrieved and transported from their office or hotel.
Many attendees choose to travel with their families to the Venice Festival and take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few days together enjoying the city. While they attend to commitments, their family members can feel cared for and have scheduled visits, tours, and activities to do during the day. In addition, if they have an event that lasts longer or is for adults only, their children over 12 years of age can travel back to the hotel safely.
Transfer to water taxi boarding points
One of the greatest charms of Venice is being able to enjoy gondola rides along its canals and contemplate the city views from the lagoon. Sometimes finding the boarding points for these water vehicles can be complicated. The best option is to have a driver familiar with the area and reliable transportation to transfer you to the boarding points and then pick you up to get you to your next destination.
In Venice, in addition to offering ground transportation, Drivania has private boat services, where you can enjoy a ride on the lagoon and move between different parts of the city differently. The uniqueness of this city is that land vehicles cannot access all areas. Proud to offer a door-to-door service, if the journey requires it, a private boat will be available to take passengers to their final destination, always in charge of a licensed captain.
In events of this magnitude, coordination and planning are key to offering a quality service. Organizing a celebrity’s schedule during the festival week requires a whole team behind it that works like a big gear where if one piece fails, the whole system fails. For example, during the Met Gala 2022, the car where Kim Kardashian was traveling skipped the drop-off point where the businesswoman and actress was supposed to get off to change clothes and put on the famous Marylin Monroe dress. This caused her entrance to be delayed, generating great stress for her and her team. This could have been avoided with good communication with the driver, or even by having a larger vehicle to do the dress change on the spot in complete privacy.
The driver must know the area, have good communication with his passengers and crew, and have an alternative plan to anticipate any problems.
Other mishaps that are out of our hands may also occur. The boarding point may change last minute, you will need your driver to receive this information immediately and know where to go without causing any delays.
Being informed about possible delays or cancellations is essential. If there is a delay, the driver should know of an interesting place nearby to wait until the new boarding time, a cocktail bar or coffee shop. Convey a sense of tranquility to the passengers and not make them feel that they are wasting their time waiting, but rather that they are enjoying another moment of their trip.
If the boat trip or event has been canceled or moved to another day, it is best to have an alternative plan prepared or know the agenda perfectly to exchange it, if it is possible, with one of the plans or visits scheduled for a later day.
These factors illustrate the importance of having constant communication between the client’s team, organizers, and those responsible for the activities or events so that the logistical organization flows and passenger plans are not negatively affected.
Transportation to visit cities near Venice
Venice is not the only beautiful city in the area. If you have the time, we recommend exploring the nearby cities and discovering the history and architecture of Italy’s Veneto region.
Just 35 minutes away is Padova, known for its architecture and Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, a World Heritage Site. In this beautiful city away from the tourist masses you can admire the architectural beauty of the Pontificia Basilica Minore di Sant’Antonio di Padova and the University of Padova, one of the oldest in Europe. Padova is also home to the Giardino della biodiversità di Padova, the oldest botanical garden in the world that is still in its original location and considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After this historic walk through the city, relax with a cup of coffee at Caffé Pedrocchi, a café with almost 200 years of history.
Literature lovers can’t miss a trip to Verona, 1 hour and 15 minutes away, famous for being the location of Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet‘. Here you can not only visit the Casa di Giulietta but also walk through the streets that were the setting of the famous story. From here you can walk along the famous marble tiles of Via Giuseppe Mazzini until you reach the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheater that has been preserved in perfect condition. End the day with a glass of wine enjoying the sunset in the Piazza delle Erbe just a few meters away.
If you are looking for more cosmopolitan tourism, the city of Milan is about 3 hours away, where you can visit the Vittorio Emanuele II galleries and the majestic Duomo di Milano. Milan is a city of a thousand faces. Take a trip to Via Montenapoleone, known as the Milanese Golden Mile, to shop and stroll among the most luxurious stores. After a morning of shopping, head towards Corso Como to taste the authentic Milanese cuisine and have a coffee in the city’s financial district. In the evening, experience a show at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala, opera, ballet, or concerts. The beauty of this hall will take you back to a golden age. As a finale, stroll through the bohemian and alternative Navigli district, take a walk along the canal, and enjoy the charm of its illuminated patios.
Padova and Verona are two small cities that can be visited on the same day if you plan your transportation well. To travel to Milan we recommend staying at least one night to make the most of the city, one of the most prestigious hotels is the Bulgari Hotel Milan. Traveling with a private vehicle will allow you to enjoy your stay in Venice and its surroundings to the fullest, comfortably, and without worries. Good organization and planning are key to having a great experience.
Additional benefits of having a private chauffeur for the Venice Film Festival
In addition to the flexibility and be able to explore the city, other advantages of having a Drivania chauffeur during the Venice Festival are:
- Punctuality: be on time for all your appointments and celebrations during the festival thanks to a professional and organized service.
- Efficiency: our chauffeurs know the city perfectly, offering an efficient and quality service.
- Safety: feel safe with our professional and certified chauffeurs.
- Privacy: our fleet of high-end vehicles and our chauffeurs will guarantee your privacy during your trips.
- Carefree mobility: relax and enjoy a personalized service to make your stay and transportation as comfortable as possible.
What to visit during the days off from the Venice Film Festival?
Besides hosting the prestigious film festival, Venice is also a place to explore different museums, theaters and shop in the most unique and exclusive stores.
If you are a history and art lover, you can’t miss the Correr Museum, where different pieces of art such as paintings and sculptures are exhibited, allowing you to take a journey through Venice’s history.
If you are interested in gastronomic tourism through the best restaurants in Venice, we recommend you to visit the Terrazza Danieli at the Hotel Danieli and taste its famous dishes of authentic Italian cuisine while contemplating the sunset over the lagoon of Venice. To end the evening, enjoy a cocktail at the famous Harry’s Bar, a landmark and former meeting place of legends such as Orson Welles and Truman Capote.
In Venice, you will also find the most luxurious stores where you can do your shopping, from Murano glass to handmade ceramic pieces, traditional sweets, perfumes, and handmade lace garments. Visit the original Murano glass factory and store OMG and get a souvenir of this original Venetian glass for your family and friends. Stop at the Antica Drogheria Mascari and let yourself be carried away by the smell of its sweets and spices. Another landmark is Venice’s first perfumery, The Merchant of Venice, a brand of haute perfumery that combines oriental and western fragrances. Finally, another unique item to remember your trip is a Burano lace piece, handmade using a centuries-old technique. Whether tablecloths, handkerchiefs, or gloves, these delicate pieces exemplify true Venetian tradition.
Attending and organizing agendas for events of this scale is not an easy task and involves the collaboration of many parties. At Drivania Chauffeurs we are prepared and experts in providing the services you need, not only ground transportation, but also taking care of even the smallest detail. At Drivania, unlike most of the private chauffeur service providers in Venice, we offer transparent all-inclusive rates, with no extra fees and no surprises in the final bill. Travel with peace of mind and leave the rest in our hands: live an experience that exceeds your expectations, meet the schedule of your agenda, and get to know the city the Venetian way.